There’s Only Room for One Dan Sullivan in Alaska Senate Race

Alaska’s top election official ruled Monday that only one Dan Sullivan will appear on the state’s Senate ballot after Republicans insisted a second Dan Sullivan was only running to undermine the incumbent, Sen. Dan Sullivan.

Division of Elections director Carol Beecher said in a letter to Dan J. Sullivan, the challenger, that his candidacy “was not filed in order to declare an actual good-faith candidacy for the office of United States Senator, but was instead filed with a purpose to confuse or mislead and to thereby compromise the ballot’s fairness or neutrality.”

Sen. Sullivan’s campaign celebrated the decision as a win for Alaskans.

“Every Alaskan has the right to a free and fair election, free from deception and gamesmanship,” Billy Mackey, Sen. Sullivan’s campaign manager, said in a statement. “We thank Lieutenant Governor Dahlstrom for upholding that right and for ensuring Alaskans can choose their next senator without a sham candidate whose primary purpose was to confuse Alaskan voters, treat Alaskans with contempt, and rig the election for Peltola.”

In Alaska, candidates of all parties compete in an open primary with the top four vote-getters earning a spot in the general election, which is decided by a ranked-choice system.

Sen. Sullivan and other Republicans have accused Dan J. Sullivan of being part of a Democratic scheme to confuse voters, even blaming his candidacy on a ruse by Democratic challenger Mary Peltola.

“Mary Peltola was in Petersburg days before Sham candidate Dan Sullivan announced his candidacy. Sham candidate Dan Sullivan had a left-wing political operative help him launch his campaign,” Sen. Sullivan wrote on Facebook last week. “He is nothing but a fake candidate propped up by Mary Peltola and her far left lower 48 cronies to confuse Alaskans and steal this election. Not a coincidence.”

Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher from Petersburg, filed to run as a Republican for the Senate seat last month — just days before the deadline. He has 30 days to appeal the decision, though ballots in Alaska are scheduled to be printed on June 28.

Peltola’s campaign has repeatedly denied being involved with Dan J. Sullivan’s campaign. Her campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday from NOTUS.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee challenged Dan J. Sullivan’s candidacy earlier this month.

Dan J. Sullivan did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NOTUS. However, he did write a letter on June 3 in response to the NRSC challenge.

“I wish to give the people of Alaska an alternative choice of representation in the U.S. Senate. Your office may not lawfully deny me the chance to run or Alaska voters the opportunity to vote for me,” Dan J. Sullivan wrote to the elections office.